Can a Pilates workout help me lose belly fat?
By Ava Adames, MS
Many people turn to Pilates as a way to tone their body, improve their core muscles and lose belly fat. However, many people that have taken a series of Pilates classes soon discover that although it’s successful at toning one’s overall body, it takes a great deal of effort to eliminate “belly” fat. Why is this so? It’s because Pilates is an anaerobic method of exercise which works at strengthening the body using muscular endurance. Muscle endurance is the rate at which your muscles work against a series of repeated actions. More often, exercise methods that incorporate aerobic work, which are movements utilizing oxygen driven rates of pace (think running, bicycling and swimming) systematically help one’s body burn fat much more readily. Aerobic conditioning contributes to overall fat loss including the loss of belly fat. So the question still remains…will a Pilates workout help me lose belly fat? The answer is indirectly yes but primarily no. Let me explain by discussing what body composition is.
Pilates can change your body composition
Body composition describes the percentages of fat, bone, and muscle in your body. Pilates can change your body composition, because muscular tissue takes up less space in our body than fat tissue. Our body composition, as well as our weight, determines leanness. A body can look aesthetically thinner by using the method Pilates but it may end up weighing the same or even a bit more when measured on a scale. Pilates done the right way will give you the appearance of looking like you have lost weight that which can include some degree of belly fat. How is this so? It’s because Pilates targets the increase of lean muscle. Lean muscle is the amount your body weighs absent of the percentage of body fat that your body has. Whenever muscles grow and become strong it results in a muscle increase and a fat decrease. However muscles weight more than fat so the scale may not go down but your clothes may fit better which may mean that inches were loss. This inch loss happens in certain areas of the body such as the hips, the arms and yes the abdominals or more so the waist. So in a roundabout way yes…a Pilates workout can indirectly help you lose belly fat!
How long does it take for a Pilates body composition change?
For measured results practice the Pilates promise! What is the Pilates promise? The Pilates promise is a timed barometer or rate of success that is gauged within a consistent Pilates practice. When Joseph Pilates created his method he knew how his system would benefit the body and also how it could atheistically affect the way a body appears. In fact he assured anyone that practiced his method that it had transforming capabilities. Joseph Pilates stated that " In ten sessions you'll feel a difference, in twenty you'll see a difference and in thirty you'll have a whole new body" Joseph Pilates 1880-1967. However, when Joseph Pilates made the aforementioned statement it was during a period when people were more active and had less access to processed junk foods. In these modern times we need to acknowledge that more people are generally overweight and are much more sedentary. Modern individuals are also looking to improve their appearance quickly within a short duration of time. So, for expedited results I would suggest a cardio based progressive Pilate’s routine where one does intervals of 1-3 minutes of target heart raising movements like jumping jacks and jogging in place within a classical Pilates repertoire that lasts for at least 45 minutes. These short bursts of aerobic or cardiovascular exercises will generate greater fat burning potential. One should also consider their nutritional intake and only consume non-processed foods (whole foods) that fuel the body appropriately that which will increase the rate of your results. Foods that have the proper nutritional values are fruits and vegetables, lean meats, healthy fats and plenty of fresh water.
By Ava Adames, MS
Many people turn to Pilates as a way to tone their body, improve their core muscles and lose belly fat. However, many people that have taken a series of Pilates classes soon discover that although it’s successful at toning one’s overall body, it takes a great deal of effort to eliminate “belly” fat. Why is this so? It’s because Pilates is an anaerobic method of exercise which works at strengthening the body using muscular endurance. Muscle endurance is the rate at which your muscles work against a series of repeated actions. More often, exercise methods that incorporate aerobic work, which are movements utilizing oxygen driven rates of pace (think running, bicycling and swimming) systematically help one’s body burn fat much more readily. Aerobic conditioning contributes to overall fat loss including the loss of belly fat. So the question still remains…will a Pilates workout help me lose belly fat? The answer is indirectly yes but primarily no. Let me explain by discussing what body composition is.
Pilates can change your body composition
Body composition describes the percentages of fat, bone, and muscle in your body. Pilates can change your body composition, because muscular tissue takes up less space in our body than fat tissue. Our body composition, as well as our weight, determines leanness. A body can look aesthetically thinner by using the method Pilates but it may end up weighing the same or even a bit more when measured on a scale. Pilates done the right way will give you the appearance of looking like you have lost weight that which can include some degree of belly fat. How is this so? It’s because Pilates targets the increase of lean muscle. Lean muscle is the amount your body weighs absent of the percentage of body fat that your body has. Whenever muscles grow and become strong it results in a muscle increase and a fat decrease. However muscles weight more than fat so the scale may not go down but your clothes may fit better which may mean that inches were loss. This inch loss happens in certain areas of the body such as the hips, the arms and yes the abdominals or more so the waist. So in a roundabout way yes…a Pilates workout can indirectly help you lose belly fat!
How long does it take for a Pilates body composition change?
For measured results practice the Pilates promise! What is the Pilates promise? The Pilates promise is a timed barometer or rate of success that is gauged within a consistent Pilates practice. When Joseph Pilates created his method he knew how his system would benefit the body and also how it could atheistically affect the way a body appears. In fact he assured anyone that practiced his method that it had transforming capabilities. Joseph Pilates stated that " In ten sessions you'll feel a difference, in twenty you'll see a difference and in thirty you'll have a whole new body" Joseph Pilates 1880-1967. However, when Joseph Pilates made the aforementioned statement it was during a period when people were more active and had less access to processed junk foods. In these modern times we need to acknowledge that more people are generally overweight and are much more sedentary. Modern individuals are also looking to improve their appearance quickly within a short duration of time. So, for expedited results I would suggest a cardio based progressive Pilate’s routine where one does intervals of 1-3 minutes of target heart raising movements like jumping jacks and jogging in place within a classical Pilates repertoire that lasts for at least 45 minutes. These short bursts of aerobic or cardiovascular exercises will generate greater fat burning potential. One should also consider their nutritional intake and only consume non-processed foods (whole foods) that fuel the body appropriately that which will increase the rate of your results. Foods that have the proper nutritional values are fruits and vegetables, lean meats, healthy fats and plenty of fresh water.
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